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Director of Jane

Kati Kati

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Kenya|2016|75 minutes|Mbithi Masya

A young woman wakes up in the middle of the Kenyan wilderness with amnesia and stumbles into a lodge full of mysterious residents who claim that they are all dead and stuck in limbo in this unique fusion of fantasy and political allegory from director Mbithi Masya and producer Tom Tykwer.

Monday, June 5, 2017

A woman dressed in a hospital gown appears in a field, unsure where she is. Across the way she spots a wilderness lodge. Venturing inside, she discovers an activity timetable and, more important, a list of residents. Underneath each name is an epitaph. One catches her eye: “Kaleche Miano (1984-2012).” She hears a commotion outside, follows the voices, and interrupts a game of “Celebrity” in progress. A man stands in front of the group of people, some of them dressed strangely―like the man still in his graduation robe―and addresses the woman. “Welcome. My name is Thoma. This is Kati Kati. And you are here because you are dead.” Aghast, the woman runs out into the field―and smack-dab into an invisible barrier that knocks her back. The truth settles in: She’s no longer in the land of the living. Director Mbithi Masya’s directorial debut, produced by Tom Tykwer’s African film workshop One Fine Day Films, is a humane, quietly engrossing, and surprisingly funny film about the afterlife and the metaphorical scars we carry throughout our existence. As Kaleche’s memories of her life slowly come into focus, she learns what each of these purgatorial residents must accomplish in order to move on to the next plane of existence.

Director Biography

Mbithi Masya has had a diverse career in the arts, from advertising and directing an art agency to partaking in the art collective Just a Band. Kati Kati, Masya's first feature film, premiered at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival.

Awards:
Toronto International Film Festival 2016 (Awarded The Discovery Award by the International Federation of Film Critics)

Filmography:
Debut Feature Film

Language:
Swahili, English

Has Subtitles:
Yes

Format:
DCP

International Sales:
The Festival Agency

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